Attention Denimheads: This Is What Jeans Made in a 125-Year-Old Mill Look Like

There’s a denim mecca in the middle of Greensboro, North Carolina. Inside a red brick building signposted only with the words Cone Mills Corporation, there are creaky old selvedge looms from the 1940s churning out some of America’s most beautiful blue jean fabric. These magical pieces of industrial machinery are part of a company that has been around for more than 125 years and serves as one of the nation’s last standing producers of denim. Cone Mills is a small fish in a big pond of high-tech design and furiously quick trend turnovers, but in this is has something truly special to offer. That’s why L.A.-based label Current/Elliott sought to bring attention to the handcrafted artistry of the more-than-a-century-old denim producer, tapping them to collaborate on a capsule collection that will be released on Current/Elliott’s online shop this Monday.

The new Current/Elliott x Cone Denim line is priced between $348 and $368 and includes three cuts, one of which is a unisex fit called The Crossover (a first for the brand). The washes of each pair are named for the cities in which they are produced and distributed: Greensboro, where Cone Denim is based; L.A. where Current/Elliott is located, and Henderson, for the Kentucky hometown of Dick Gaines, the well-known denim artisan who lent his hand to the collection. Each wash took about one day to complete and involved three hours of hand-sanding to give each pair that vintage, worn-in feel that every denim lover lusts after.

Each pair also comes with its own Tyvek freeze bag, part of what’s known as the “Freeze Refresh” project, an initiative to encourage denim-wearers to preserve water by freezing their jeans instead of washing them. And with the help of Current/Elliott, Cone Denim is likely to sail their denim traditions well into the next century, too.